While NHL fans do a slow burn and the league's player prepare for a season that may never come, the owners and Bettman appear to be enjoying another season of good times on Boardwalk, Park Place and Pennsylvania avenues. Allan Mitchell tackles the issues with some heavy hitters.

Tom Lynn from Veritas Hockey gives us insight into the recent Ivan Hlinka, the CBA negotiations from player and management veiwpoints and we talk about the impact on players inside and outside the NHL.

Ilya Ostrovsky owner of the Edmonton Municipal Hockey League and a man who grew up in the shadow of the Kremlin. Ilya talked about adult hockey in Edmonton and what’s available and his unique connection to hockey in Russian and in Canada.

Jason Strudwick, former NHL player, OilersNation contributor and bon vivant about town. Jason spoke patiently about the lockout, recalled his own experience from last lockout and passed along a delightful story about his success in the shootout.

Tyler Dellow from mc79 hockey did a terrific job of breaking down the Taylor Hall contract, passing along insight on the CBA discussions and giving fans an idea about how this might turn out (and when).

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I have been mulling over something that I haven`t really seen discussed. As we all know a majority the city is very vocally against the arena. The whole project is on thin ice as it is. Do you think Katz realises he will lose most of the support he has and the deal will most likely be cancelled if we find out he is willing to lock the whole city out so his millions become tens of millions faster? I hope he realizes a lockout would almost certainly cost him most of the arena funding, the arena itself and any support he has in the city. He is treading on thin ice as it is, does anyone think he realizes the likely outcome here and is making his opinions heard by Bettman?

I have been mulling over something that I haven`t really seen discussed. As we all know a majority the city is very vocally against the arena. The whole project is on thin ice as it is. Do you think Katz realises he will lose most of the support he has and the deal will most likely be cancelled if we find out he is willing to lock the whole city out so his millions become tens of millions faster? I hope he realizes a lockout would almost certainly cost him most of the arena funding, the arena itself and any support he has in the city. He is treading on thin ice as it is, does anyone think he realizes the likely outcome here and is making his opinions heard by Bettman?

Not to disagree with your understandable frustration over the looming lockout or your own concerns with the publicly funded portion of the arena, but I do have a question.

I have not seen a ton of data that "a majority the city is very vocally against the arena". From what I have read / heard in the local media there is a lot of support for the arena. A 10-3 vote by council, who allegedly reflect the views of their constituents, would lead me to believe that, while there are outstanding funding questions, there is NOT a vocal majority against it.

Where did you get your data asserting the fact the majority are against it? I missed those reports.

I would hope and expect that the majority of Edmontonians would not want to perpetuate the "small town / small mind" image that others wrongly portray.

Well from the few polls that have been conducted by well respected polling firms the majority don't support taxpayers paying for it.

http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=4495

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=352263

I think if Daryl Katz locks the doors to Rexall, people will start getting more involved in the process. Right now the best thing he has going for him is the hockey fans who care outnumber the taxpayers who are paying attention. If people see how much control he is willing to exert, and that he is willing to give the fans the middle finger, perceptions and involvement will change. If the councillors hear loud enough from constituents, support will change. After all, they all want to keep their jobs in the next election. Ignoring constituents tends to prevent that.

If people see their taxes are going to be raised, and also see that Katz doesn't give two craps about them, I think it won't be long before people start asking "why would we give him hundreds of millions if he won't even consider us in the grand scheme of things."

If we have a long off season to think, I think that subject will have a lot more interest and a lot more people looking for some way to punish the league for threatening us, the fans.

The worst thing Katz could do at this point is give people a reason to open up the debate again, and a long offseason to think about the consequences of handing over hundreds of millions to someone willing to put profits ahead of the fans and the citizens of Edmonton.